Bottle carrier



Nov. 16, 1943. H. L. METZGER BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Oct. 5, 1940 Hen Ne/zer ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 16, 198

' BOTTLE CARRIER Henry L. Metzger, Castleton on Hudson, N. Y., assignor to Fort Orange Paper Company, Castleton on Hudson, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 5, 1940, Serial No. 359,931

1 Claim. (Cl. 224-45) More particularly, my invention relates to a bottle carrier formed of flexible material such, for example, as cardboard, chip board and the like which comprises a bottom portion including a base on which the bottles may rest and lateral side portions which may be folded to extend upwardly a considerable distance above the bottom portion thereof to form a carrying means for the carrier. In practice, these lateral side portions are provided with elongated openings permitting them to be passed over the necks of the bottles whereby they may be grasped together above the center of the base of the carrier.

In bottle carriers of this type, it is desirable to provide the base of the bottom portion thereof, upon which the bottles rest, with upstanding ends which are fastened to the sides of the carrier to provide a complete enclosure about the bottoms of the bottles whereby to hold the bottles securely in the carrier. I

It is an object of my invention to provide a bottle carrier of the foregoing character comprising a bottom portion having both sides and ends which when fastened together in carrier-forming relation may be fiat folded and stacked one upon the other in compact bundles for transportation or storage purposes. Carriers of this character may, therefore, be transported and stored in a minimum of space and yet constitute completely finished carriers in condition to be filled with the bottles.

Another object resides in providing a blank for a flat foldable bottle carrier of the above character which may be stamped out in one piece and may be readily and cheaply formed into the completed bottle carrier.

Another object of my invention resides in providing a novel method of making a flat foldable bottle carrier of the above character.

I attain the foregoing objects by the novel constructions and arrangement of parts described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank embodying a preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partially broken away and similar to Fig. 1, showing some of the parts of the blank in overfolded position;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation view of the blank illustrating further steps in the formation of the carrier;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank, overfolded as illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the bottle carrier; and

Fig. 6 illustrates the manner in which the car- ,riers may be stacked.

In the drawing, I have illustrated a preferred form of blank for use in forming a bottle carrier.

l represents generally the blank which is preferably cut out in one piece from a strip of suitable,

2 and 3 and longitudinally scored at 4 and 5 to provide a central portion 6 which is adapted to form the'base, on which the bottles may rest, for the lower portion or bottom of the carrier. Scores 2, 3, 4 and 5 subdivide the blank into the central, base-forming portion 6, lateral side portions 1 and 8 and 'flaps 9 and III which are adapted to be up-folded to form ends for the bottom of the carrier.

In the embodiment illustrated, the blank is slitted as indicated at H between the lateral portions I and 9 and the flaps 9 and i0 substantially to the point of intersection of the scores 2 and 3 with the scores 4 and 5, and the scoring 2 and 3 may be continued across the flaps 9 and I0 as indicated by the scores II to subdivide the flaps into central, end-forming portions i3 and i4 and tabs IS, on each side thereof.

The lateral side portions 1 and 8 are transversely scored as indicated at l6 and I1, respectively, near to and preferably substantially parallel with the scores 2 and 3. The portions l8 and I9 of the lateral side portions which are embraced between the scores 2 and I6 and 3 and I1, respectively, are adapted, when up-folded, to form sides for the bottom of the carrier. For the reasons hereinafter appearing, the spacing between these scores is substantially less than one-half the width of the base 6 whereby, whenthe side portions l8 and 19 are overfolded upon the base and the remainder of the lateral side portions 1 and 9 are folded back or outwardly upon the portions l8 and I9, they will not overlie thecentral zone of the base 6.

The lateral portions 1 and 8 may be provided with the usual openings 20 which are adapted to permit them to be passed over the necks of botvide flaps 22 which are adapted to be overfolded upon the ends of the side portions as shown in F18. 3.

The central portions l2 and I 4 of the flaps 9 and ID are provided with scores 24 which extend substantially from the intersection of the scores 2 and 3 with the scores 4 and 5 toward the outer edges thereof and at an acute angle to the scores '4 and i. In other words, the scores 24 extend from the comers of the central portions I3 and I4 defined by the scores I and I2 and 4 and I2, respectively, to the outer edges. The angle between the scores 24 and the scores 4 and 5 or scores I2 is preferably about 45.

In forming the bottle carrier. and it will be understood that the following steps may be per- 8 formed either by hand or by machine, the flaps 8 and III are bent up along the scores 24 and overfolded fiat upon the base 6 as illustrated in Fig. 2. Thereafter, a suitable adhesive, as indicated at 25, is preferably applied to the upper sides of the tabs IE or it may be applied in corresponding areas to the side-forming portions It and is of the lateral side portions I and 8. At the same time, a suitable adhesive 28 may be applied to the flaps 23 or to the corresponding zones of the lateral portions 1 and 8 upon which they are adapted to be overfolded. Thereafter, the lateral portions 1 and 8 are bent along the scores 2 and I6 and 3 and I! as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the lateral portions being moved toward each other until the side-forming portions I8 and I9 thereof for the bottom of the carrier are overfolded flat upon the.overfolded tabs l5 and the remainder of the lateral side portions 1 and 8 are folded back and flat upon the side portions l8 and I9 thereof as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 3. At the same time, the end flaps 23 of the lateral side portions 1 and 8 may be overfolded and the overfolded portions of the blank may then be subjected to pressure sufilcient adhesively to secure the parts thereof together. The finished bottle carrier is illustrated in flat folded condition in Fig. 4.

As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the side forming portions I8 and I9 for the bottom of the arrier, when overfolded upon the base, do not cover the central zone thereof. This arrangement is preferable since in machine-forming the carrier the overfolded blank is subjected to pressure by passing it between rollers and the central portion thereof should be uncovered for the passage of a doctor or like device thereover.

The finished carriers, when in flat folded condition as illustrated in Figs. .3 and 4, may be stacked as illustrated in Fig. 6 for transportation, storage and other purposes in practically a minimum of space. For use, it is merely necessary to elevate the lateral side portions thereof and place the bottles upon the base between the 10 of one lateral side portion through the enlarged end of the central aperture of the other and over-bending it as illustrated in Fig. 5.

While I have described my invention in its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the words which I have used are words of description rather than of limitation. Hence, changes within the purview of the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of my invention in its broader aspects.

What I claim is:

A bottle carrier of the character described comprising a strip of flexible material provided with longitudinally and transversely extending scores defining a central portion adapted to form the base of the bottom of said carrier on which the bottles may rest, lateral side portions on each side of said central portion and flaps contiguous the ends of said central portion adapted to be up-folded to form comparatively shallow ends for the bottom of said carrier, said lateral side portions being transversely scored along lines substantially parallel with said first mentioned transverse scores, the portions of said blank between said scores forming comparatively shallow sides for the bottom of said carrier and the balance of said lateral side portions constituting carrying means for the bottom of the carrier, each of said flaps including lateral tab perg tions adapted to be secured to the sides for the bottom of said carrier and a central portion provided with scores extending substantially from the comers thereof adjacent the central portion of said blank outwardlyand at an acute angle to the adjacent side of the central portion of the blank, said tab portions being over-bent along said last mentioned scores upon said central portion of the blank and said lateral portions of the blank being in-folded along said first mentioned transverse scores upon the central portion thereof and upon said tabs and reversely folded along said second mentioned transverse scores upon the iii-folded side-forming portions when said carrier lies in substantially fiat-folded condition, and means for fastening said tab portions to the sides for the bottom of said carrier.

HENRY L. METZGER. 

